A Bronx mother accused of dumping her newborn twins in a rat-infested alley in New York City has been arrested, five years after the heinous crime.
Stephanie Castillo, 36, was taken into custody Friday morning and charged with multiple counts of murder and manslaughter in connection with the deaths of her infant sons, law enforcement sources confirmed.
The arrest follows a years-long investigation that recently linked Castillo to the crime through DNA evidence. She kept her head low during her perp walk.
On November 9, 2020, the babies were discovered in a filthy alley behind a College Avenue apartment building, near East 171st Street, in the Claremont section of the Bronx.
One of the newborn babies was partially wrapped in a pet training pad with visible head trauma and an umbilical cord tied around his neck. The other was found about 20 feet away, tucked inside a black plastic bag.
Both were less than 24 hours old and had been born alive, according to police.
Castillo was arrested at a nearby shelter, just blocks from the apartment where she had previously lived – and from which police believe she may have thrown the babies out a fourth-floor window.
Stephanie Castillo, 36, was taken into custody Friday morning and charged with multiple counts of murder and manslaughter in connection with the deaths of her infant sons
On November 9, 2020, the babies were discovered in a filthy alley behind a College Avenue apartment building, near East 171st Street, in the Claremont section of the Bronx (pictured)
‘The perpetrator in this case resided on the fourth floor of this apartment building, and we believe that the babies were disposed of out the window,’ NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Baldassano told CBS New York.
The twins, later named Zeke and Zane by detectives, were buried after officers raised money for their funeral.
The case remained unsolved for years despite a $10,000 reward and repeated public pleas, according The New York Times.
Castillo is now charged with two counts of murder and manslaughter. She is being held at the 44th Precinct and is expected to be arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court.
According to sources speaking to the NYPost, the mother unknowingly nailed herself to the crime after DNA was taken from a drink container she used – matching the genetics of the suspected baby killer.
The arrest follows a years-long investigation that recently linked Castillo to the crime through DNA evidence
The case dates back to 2020 when the building superintendent made the disturbing discovery behind the College Avenue property (pictured)
‘This is exactly why we come to work every day. The NYPD, we don’t give up. Our detectives are the best in the world,’ Baldassano said.
The case dates back to 2020 when the building superintendent made the disturbing discovery behind the College Avenue property.
The city’s medical examiner later ruled the deaths homicides in April 2021, citing blunt force trauma to the head and torso as the cause.
In the years since the incident, members of the NYPD and local community have held annual vigils in memory of the boys, who were given a proper funeral after officers and detectives pooled donations to pay for burial services.